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Barnabas and Paul have returned to their home church at Antioch in Syria, after their first

missionary trip.

Many hundreds of miles

Suffered much persecution, including stoning.

They needed rest and refreshing with their brothers

and sisters. www.rossvillechurch.com

781 Salem Road, Rossville, GA 30741March 28, 2012

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Acts 15 1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

False doctrine

These issues were still being worked out.

Instead of the rest they needed,

They got dissension and trouble.

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2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

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3 And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.

They stopped along the way, testifying about their missionary

journey and the salvation of Gentiles.

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4 And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.

Received = accepted

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5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the Law of Moses. 6 And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.

Become JewsBefore they could

become Christians.

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Some from Judea taught the Gentile converts at Antioch, that they could not be saved, unless they observed the whole ceremonial law as given by Moses; and thus they sought to destroy Christian liberty. There is a strange proneness in us to think that all do wrong who do not just as we do. Their doctrine was very discouraging. Wise and good men desire to avoid contests and disputes as far as they can; yet when false teachers oppose the Main Truths of the Gospel, or bring in hurtful doctrines, we must not decline to oppose them.

Matthew Henry Concise Bible Commentary.

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7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the Word of the Gospel, and believe.

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8-9 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as He did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

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10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 But we believe that thru the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

unto

Ephesians 2:8-10

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There comes a time when God's people must stand up for the Truth, against false doctrine.

Heaven or Hell issuesHurtful doctrines that hinder the

Gospel

Or hinder Christians in their walk with God.

But we must not fight against something, just because it is different than we prefer.

Preferences should not become convictions or standards for the church.

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Styles and preferences are not worth fighting over, but if someone created a doctrine or standard from

them, we would have to oppose them strongly.

Billy Sunday